Save the Witch (2)

Half of the witch’s cloak had been sliced away, revealing the life-support magitech devices wrapped around her body even without using a see-through ability. The ones draped over her shoulders, covering her chest, and coiled around her legs—they were all life-support magitech.

Just as I thought that with the cloak cut, Yustina and Elfin would soon arrive, the slowed world returned to normal, and a headache crashed over me.

"Grahhh…."

It was because my proficiency with aura magic was still lacking. The first time I'd used it, blood had poured from my nose, but at least now it wasn't that bad. Small mercies.

"Young master, are you okay?!"

The first to react in shock as I clutched my head was Charlotte. She'd been preparing defensive magic from the rear, timing it perfectly, but when I collapsed, she rushed over to check on me.

"Did the witch's magic hit you? W-what do we do? I'm not good with healing magic… I should have blocked it. I'm sorry. I still don't know how to block mental magic…."

"It's not magic. Not mental magic either. Just a momentary dizziness."

I took Charlotte's hand from my forehead, moved it aside, and lifted my head. Cutting the cloak hadn't ended the fight. We still needed to buy time until Elfin or Yustina ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arrived—and truthfully, I hadn't landed any meaningful hit on the witch.

She was still very much intact and would keep blasting us with deadly ice magic until she collapsed. I hadn't shattered her necklace or destroyed the life-support devices—just sliced her collar at best.

'At least the barrier should be down….'

I closed my eyes and spread my senses around. My mana perception was still weaker than my other senses, but inside the witch's concealment barrier, I could clearly feel its presence. Invisible from outside, but obvious within. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been that way before slicing the cloak, and it still was.

'…Wait, still the same?'

For a moment, I thought I'd sensed wrong, but no. Even after cutting the cloak, the barrier remained, making it impossible for Elfin or Yustina outside to find us.

I doubted if the cloak cut had been an illusion or mental manipulation, but it wasn't. Slicing the cloak hadn't damaged the barrier at all. I couldn't understand how, but that was the truth.

"Didn't damage the cloak's function, huh?"

"Or maybe a barrier already formed doesn't break even if you destroy the cloak…."

"Can't make sense of it. What the hell is magitech even…."

Despair hit hard, but we couldn't stop here. I resolved to enroll in a magitech lecture once I got back safely, gripped my sword tighter, and focused.

Having maxed out my sword aura and aura magic had drained my mana—not a great spot. All I'd gained was the info that cutting the cloak meant nothing.

"Guess we target the necklace next."

"Um, difficulty-wise, breaking the life-support devices seems easier…."

"True, but…."

I bit my lip lightly at Charlotte's words. The life-support devices had more weak points than the necklace, and they didn't look that durable. Unlike the cloak, destroying them would stop them permanently. As Charlotte said, smashing them to kill her outright was our best shot at survival.

"Still… she's brainwashed, forced to act like this."

But outright killing her felt wrong. I'd killed countless as an assassin on orders, but offing an innocent old woman puppeteered by others turned my stomach. And it wasn't like killing was the only option—we could still cut the necklace.

It'd be tougher, but not impossible.

"We target the necklace. Charlotte, cooperate. Shields at the right moments."

"Yes, I'll follow your lead, young master."

I met her eyes, kept distance, and stared at the witch. Maybe sensing unease from her cloak being cut, she observed me more carefully now.

I, too, scrutinized her more thoroughly.

'Creepy.'

With the cloak gone and hat flown off, her bare face was revealed. Wrinkled like a corpse, body frail as if melting away. One wrong bump, and her saggy flesh might crumble to dust, leaving only brittle bones. In a word: a forcibly animated corpse.

'Weird.'

I couldn't guess her age. With all those life-support devices plastered on, she'd long surpassed human lifespan. She was skilled as a mage, sure, but why keep someone like her alive and controlled for so long? And the "evil witch in the gingerbread house" bit… probably brainwashing by the demon siblings or their backers.

But the creepiness wasn't just that.

'She looks like that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠girl.'

I recalled my talk with Charlotte on the way up the mountain. I'd mentioned syncing with other mages before. The one I'd synced with most was resistance genius mage Katarina.

For some reason, this withered witch evoked echoes of the young, talented Katarina—deeply disorienting.

'No way.'

I tried to dismiss it, but unease flooded in. Slim evidence, but similarities existed. Katarina from 500 years ago handled various magics but specialized in ice. Coincidentally, this witch had only used ice against us.

Once suspicious, her sagging face seemed to overlay the last Katarina I'd seen. Even her thick, husky voice felt similar.

The Katarina I'd last seen was early thirties. Not identical, but aging could explain it. Plus, Katarina loved baking and gifting cookies—the witch's "gingerbread house" felt pointed.

'…Impossible.'

I shook my head to clear useless thoughts. Katarina was a 500-year-old past-life tie. Long-lived races like Elfin or Yustina surviving that long wasn't shocking, but Katarina was plain human. Humans don't live 500 years without undeath or forced prolongation.

"Ah."

I grimaced, ignoring the life-support magitech swaddling her.

'This… too much, right?'

If this brainwashed witch trying to kill me was my old comrade Katarina from 500 years ago, wasn't that cruel?

— '…Save the bad witch.'

Suddenly, her eerie earlier words resurfaced. If Katarina, how much effort to resist brainwashing for that one sentence?

But I had no way to save her. Smashing life-support would kill her; my skill fell short for the necklace.

Shrieeeek!

Then, as if scouting ended, the witch spread her arms. Realized single-target was less effective? Cold winds from her magic whipped inside the barrier.

Freezing chill shook me head to toe.

"Th-this…."

"Y-young maaaaster…."

Frost clung to skin, hair froze. Innards felt like they'd freeze solid. Charlotte's barrier felt like a thick coat, but insufficient. Her lips—and mine—turned blue, trembling.

'Getting stronger…!'

I realized her attacks intensified. First tentative, then aggressive, now pure murder. No longer just me—now Charlotte too, aiming to kill us both.

'Please resist the brainwashing a bit more…!'

I swung my trembling sword, igniting warm sword aura, praying inwardly. For this old woman, Katarina or not.

And slipped my free hand into my pocket, clutching the mana core tight.

'If I use this too….'

The witch, crumbling under brainwashing. If even this core's mana couldn't calm her, she'd unleash fully. Exhausted as I was, she'd butcher me instantly.

So, now or never.

Vwooom!

The mana core glowed blue, flooding me with mana. My parched mana well filled like a drought lake in rain.

As it rose, sword aura and magic flowed freely, stamina surged for longer fight.

I reapplied stamina blessing, golden sword aura gleaming warmly, glaring at the witch.

'Visibility's shot.'

Her blizzard blanketed everything. Without focus, zero visibility—even Charlotte behind, or the witch enemy, hard to see.

Shouts from front (witch) and back (Charlotte), but howling wind and snow drowned them.

Shrieeeek!

Yet I sensed incoming icicles from afar. Dodged barely, but regretted not countering.

Then—crack!—a scream piercing the blizzard sank my heart.

"Kyaaaah!"

"Charlotte! You okay?!"

I hesitated. Turning back meant death. Another icicle aside, I couldn't endure more blizzard.

Charge witch blind, stop storm—better survival odds. But 'Then Charlotte…!'

As I turned, her voice boomed louder than the scream:

"I'm fine! Young master! Hurry forward!"

My charging step halted. Scream suggested icicle hit, but no?

Then what was that crack? Sounded like a direct hit.

"Really fine!"

Her voice too vivid, unharmed. I trusted her, turned back.

Stopping witch first, as requested. And if Katarina—resistance comrade needing saving—I had to end it.

"Once more, visual enhancement…."

I started aura magic, then stopped. Here, other senses ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠better than sight.

Low proficiency, but no time to picky.

Visual enhancement reveals unseen, sharpens sight. Auditory did similar: amplifies heard, reveals unheard.

I filtered blizzard noise for witch's footsteps, breaths, Charlotte's sounds—focused.

'Good.'

Charlotte's breaths normal, no anomalies. Icicle hit unknown now, but just cold, not life-threatening.

Blizzard blinded, but witch's sounds pinpointed her.

I leaped straight at her, unlocking core of auditory enhancement.

Cheongsimsul.

Hears minds, thoughts. Even unspoken truths. Applied to witch too.

Brainwashed or not, deepest true heart speaks.

Blizzard-piercing, her face ghost-ghastly twisted—but heart's voice warm as can be.